Effect of insulin and hydrocortisone on pyruvate kinase from the medullar and cortical layers of rabbit kidney

Abstract: Activity of M2-pyruvate kinase from medullar layer of rabbit kidney was studied in diabetes, in starvation within 1 day and 10-16 days and in long-term starvation of rabbits after administration of glucose or hydrocortisone and protamine-Zn-insulin. The enzymatic activity was increased in diabetes and decreased in long-term starvation and after administration of insulin. A correlation was observed between low activity of pyruvate kinase in kidney medulla under conditions of long-term starvation of rabbits and deficiency of the enzyme substrate. The data, obtained after study of the enzymatic activity in kidney medulla as compared with that of rabbit kidney cortex, demonstrate various adaptability of cells from these kidney layers to regulatory effects of hormones on the pyruvate kinase activity.